§ Mr. DunnTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what prior undertaking on capital expenditure he can give to city technology college promoters planning to establish city technology colleges in the premises of existing maintained schools before proposals are made for those purposes under section 12 of the Education Act 1980 or section 14 of the Education Act 1944.
§ Mr. Kenneth BakerMy answer of 28 July 1988 to my hon. Friend the Member for Wyre Forest (Mr. Coombs) at column402 set out the factors I would take into account in deciding proposals which came to me under the provisions of section 12 of the Education Act 1980 and which had as an objective making premises available for the establishment of a city technology college. Should the governors of a voluntary school seek my leave to give notice of their intention to discontinue the school under the provisions of section 14 of the Education Act 1944, for a similar objective, I shall take the same factors into account, in addition to the other requirements laid down in that section.
I made it clear in that statement that, in considering any such proposals, I should need to satisfy myself specifically that the sponsors' plans were sufficiently clear, considered and developed; and that, subject to my approval of the proposals, I had reached agreement in principle with the promoters on a funding agreement. A key aspect of the latter is the grant I am prepared to make available towards the capital costs involved in the establishment of all CTCs. Clearly promoters will need to have a firm indication from me of the level of that grant in order to prepare plans that are sufficiently well developed to satisfy the LEA or governors that the closure or discontinuance of the existing school is justified.
In order to be able to give such a firm undertaking I shall need to consider what expenditure on the premises is likely to be required for a CTC established there to meet the basic requirements of the programme, but in giving any such indication I shall make clear that any capital grant is subject to a detailed feasibility study and to my decision on the statutory proposals or applications, which will be treated strictly on their merits.